Study: NJ health system out of balance

Researchers have concluded that yet another state health system is out of whack, in ways which seemingly differ little from other health systems across the U.S. In this case the patient is the health system of the state of New Jersey, which, according to a new study by consulting firm Avalere Health, burns through resources but doesn't seem to produce better care or outcomes as a result.

The Avalere study, which was sponsored by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that subsidy payments for charity care don't match up well with the amount a hospital is actually providing. It also concluded that the state has a high number of hospital beds, with about 13 percent more than nearby Connecticut, as well as higher-than-average hospital admission rates. What's more, both Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the last six months of life receive substantially more care than in New Jersey than other states. In addition, the report noted that the number of ambulatory surgical centers opening in New Jersey has spiked over the past 15 years, as has been the case in other states.

Pick up more study details:
- see this Avalere Health release

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